PHARMACY
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Liquid medication dosing errors in Children
Administering medication to the children is a very
challenging task in today’s life. Administration of medications to young
children can be complex for parents. Oral liquid formulations are typically
prescribed to young children, and many parents find that accurate measurement
is not so easy. Parents frequently
misunderstand the instructions regarding
how to give or administer medication to their children properly.
According to the results of a study carried out in urban areas
regarding administration of dosage to children, more than 40% of parents or
those administering medicine to their child are making errors in dosing liquid
medications and some are even missing the dose. Most of the parents are using
dosing cup for dose measurement and others are using oral syringes Those with
low health literacy, as well as those with limited health literacy, are at risk
for medication administration errors.
Acc.
to FDA parents should know which
medications are appropriate to give infants and children and how to give them.
Follow
the link to know what you need to know while giving medicine to your child
& the adverse effect that can occur due to dosing error: (https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/medication-safety.html)
What About Side Effects?
It is important that parents/caregivers are aware that despite being
widely available without a prescription, side effects with overdose of paracetamol can also occur. After giving
your child a dose of medicine, check for any side effects or allergic
reactions. The packaging of the product or pharmacist or doctor may warn you
about specific side effects of a medicine, such as drowsiness or hyperactivity.
If your child has side effects such as
rashes, vomiting, or diarrhea, contact your doctor or pharmacist. Penicillin
and other antibiotics are among the most common prescription drugs to cause an
allergic reaction.
If your child develops wheezing, has
trouble breathing, or difficulty swallowing after taking a medicine, seek
emergency help by calling 911 or going to the emergency department immediately.
These could be symptoms of a serious allergic reaction that requires emergency
care.
How the problem can be resolved?
Potential strategies to reduce such types of errors include
the use of a health literacy-informed approach for improving provider
communication of medication instructions to parents through
a) the use of advanced counseling techniques,
and
b) to provide
standardized dosing instruments with the medication.
Some other important
tips to avoid medication errors:-
Always use the dosing
instrument that comes with the medication.
1. Do not leave medicines out after using them.
Immediately return medicines to your safe storage location after each use.
2. Carefully read the
label and look at any pictures on the medicine bottle always and make sure you are following the recommended use
and measuring the dose correctly as prescribed by the physician.
3. Liquid medications are generally based on a child’s
weight instead of age. So Knowing your child’s weight errors of overdoses
can be reduced.
4. Properly Communicate
with all the caregivers at the home, to
avoid giving multiple doses.
5. Your children should
know about medication safety i.e your children
should know that medication should be handled only by an adult.
6. Keep the medicine
bottles and dosing instruments together in their original packaging.
Follow these links to know more about
medication safety and how to safely store medicines :
Conclusion
FDA(Food and Drug Administration) recommends using the
proper dosing device that comes with the medication, not a regular kitchen
spoon. Moreover If a child is taking more than one
medication at the same time, parents should avoid giving two medications with
the same active ingredient. Parents should always ask questions about proper
dosing, as well.
The ability to understand the importance and correct use of standardized
dosing instruments i.e dosing cups, oral syringes, dropper etc as well as the
ability to interpret the measurement units eg. milliliter, teaspoon, tablespoon
are among the key factors that help parents avoid dosing errors.
Author:
